Xsubmarine-gun



(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 1.

. V. P. LASSOE.

SUBMARINE GUN.

- city of Brooklyn, State of New'York, have invented a new and UNITED ST TES ATENT iQFFic V ALDEMAR LKSS OE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YQRK.

seams eon.

" BPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No.425,574, dated April 15, 1890.

' Application filed August 27, 1889. Serial mazaove. on model.)

To an whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VALDEMAR F. LAssoE,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the in the county of Kings and useful Improyement in the Art of Operating Projectiles iii-Submarine Guns, of. which the following is a'specification, reference being.

had'to the accompanying'drawings. Thefiringofexplosiveprojectilesfrom guns. arranged underwater has been heretofore at-j tended with. considerable danger, owing to: the liability of the projectile to be exploded before leaving the gun by the firing-pin which ignites the concussion-fulminates for the explosive employed in the projectiles coming in- A too violent contact with the water or by its striking a frangible valve which is applied at the muzzle of the gun to exclude the water therefrom until the time of firing. The firingpin above mentioned is commonly backed by a spiral sp'ring,which is intended tobe strong enough to holdthe pin forward and prevent it from being driven back until it strikes the object at which the projectile is aimed. If

this spring be of sufficient strength no premature explosion can take place either by the pin striking the water or the frangible valve;

but the efiective range of the projectile is reduced as the strength of the spring is increased. *A very strong spring requires a high velocity of the projectile to produce the required movement of the pin for firing. The

- breaking up of the frangible valve is also an uncertain factor, as experience has proved that such valves never break twice precisely alike, and such valve will sometimes divert the force of the projectile and sometimes reenter theg'un before the outer muzzle-valve, which-is commonly used, can be closed.

The principal object of my invention is to entirely remove all s'uchdan'ger of premature explosion. For this purpose 'I dispense entirely with the inner or frangible valve by providing the'projectile with a suitable packing, which, by the pressure of the sea or water outside of the vessel, is forced against the bore of thef'gun and forms awater-tight joint to exclude the water from the gun after the opening of the muzzle-valve, which. is: pro- 'vided to exclude the water from the gun when the latter is not loaded or during loading, and

I push forward the projectile gently in the gun far enough to displace the Water from the forward partof the bore thereof and make the projectile project a certain distance from the muzzle of the gun into the water, and I retaifi the projectile in that position until it is desired to discharge. it by firing the gun. I thus obviate any sudden concussion or resistance being oifered to the firingpin in the act of discharging the projectile from'the gun.

It is in the above method of operation that my invention principally consists. In some cases, it may be desirable after having pushed theprojectile forward in the gun, as hereinabove described, preparatory to firing, to withdraw it into the gun; and my invention further consists in effecting such withdrawal by opening communication between the rear part of the gun and the atmosphere while the forward end of the projectile is exposed to the pressure of the water, which pressure is made to push back the projectile. I generally employ compressed air for the purpose of pushing forward the projectile in the gun, as before described; and in such case, after the projectile has been so pushed forward and retained stationary, a chamber is, formed or left between the base of the projectile and the breech of the gun, the chamber being full of compressed air. The charge of powder for I Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the forward part of a vessel-and of a submarine gun therein, showing also an external longitudinal View of the projectile, and

showing partly in section the means for pushing forward the projectile within the gun and of withdrawing it thereinto according to my invention, the projectile being shown within the gun and the muzzle-valve being closed. Fig. 2 is a rear view corresponding with Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view corresponding with Fig. 1, but showing the muzzle-valve of the gun open and the projectile pushed forward within the gun and into the sea to the position ready for firing. Fig. 4 represents on a larger scale than the above-mentioned figures a longitudinal section of a portion of the barrel of the gun, a portion of the breech-block thereof, an

air-actuated piston, which is employed to push forward the projectile preparatory to its dis- Similar letters of reference designate cor responding parts in all the figures.

A A A designate the gun, which may be made of cast-iron and of smooth bore, and is represented as made of sections with suitable flanges and bolted together. Its muzzle is shown as passing through an eye forged in the stem B of the vessel and as being furnished with a'collar to. abut against the interior of the stem, where it is secured by a screw-thread and nut on the outside. The breech-section of the gun is shown as resting on a wooden support inthe cas't iron frame 0, which is firmly secured to the floor of the vessel. .The muzzle is represented as fitted with an external valve G, by which to close it to exclude the water from the bore of the gun at all times until the gun is to be got ready for firing after the projectile H has been inserted. 'The said valve G is'attached to an elbow-lever g, which .is .fulcrumed at g tofthe stem B of the vessel, and which is operated for opening and closing the valve by means of a rod 9 which passes through the stem or bow of the vessel to be worked from on board. The projectile H is represented as furnished with the packing h,-which by the.

pressure ofthe sea or water outside of the muzzle when the valve G [is open may be forced against the bore of the gun to form a water-tight joint to exclude the water therefrom; but as the particular packingwhichl propose to use for thisv purpose constitutes an improvement in projectiles, and therefore not a part of the present invention, and any suitable water-tight packing may be used, I shall not here particularly describe the said packing. f

The, gun is provided with-a removable breech-block D for breech-loading. This block may be of any suitable kind, but is represented as fitted to thebreech withgmu:

tilated screw-threads, in a well-known manner, and as fitted to turn in a carrier E, which is suspended from a shaft 11, supported in fixed bearings d on the top of the breech of the gun, the said shaft being capable of moving longitudinally and turning in the'said bearings to permit the'insertion .and withdrawal of the breech-block into and from the breech and the lateral movement necessary to move it out of the way for loading and to return it to""its positionin line with the bore preparatory to closing the breech after loading.

The. breech-block is shown as fitted with a wrought-iron nose-plate d the stem of which passes through the block and is fastened to the carrier E, and between the flange ofwhich and the front of the block isa gas-check d The said stem is bored throughout centrally to receive the fuse-plug a, through which the wires a to the fuse a pass.

The construction of the breech-block, its carrier, nose-plate, and gas-check, and the method of applying the fuse, so far as I have described them, constitute no part of my invention, being all well known.

The rear or breech section A of the gun is bored somewhat larger than the other sections A A which may be of uniform caliber, and a shoulder 17 is thus presented at the junction of the breech-section Aand the next section in front of it. This shoulder is best repshoulder is required to :be very'abrupt. In order to preserve its abruptness it is composed of a steel ring, which is fitted tightly into a recess provided for it in the end of the resented in Fig. 6, which represents the junc- ,tion of the two sections A and 'A. The said section A, and is firmly securediu the said recess by the bolting of the two sections AA together. y'-the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained-is screwed through a tapped hole in the wall of the gun in such manner that its inner end may be protruded into or withdrawn from the bore of the gun. I

F is a piston placed within thelgun to retransmit it to the projectile H. This piston is fitted with packing-rings)", which may be of cast-iron, and are represented in Fig. 5 as divided in one place only and ashaving ap-- Behind the said shoulder b a screw- 10: ceive theforce of the projecting charge and plied within .them springs j for the purpose of pressing them out tightly against the bore of the gun. The head of the piston is of such size that it may pass intothe smaller bore of the gun in front of the breech-section A. .Its

packing-rings are capable of such. expansion and contraction that they may pass within either the larger or the smaller bore, and the will so fit the smaller bore as to make a gas- 'tight joint. The saidv ringsjarebeveled in front, as shown inFigsA and 6, in snchinannor that they may pass by theshoulderb when sufficient force is appliedbehind the-piston.

The piston is furnished with a central hollow rod or tube f whichfprojec'ts-from its rear endand is of such length ithatyvhenit is against thenose-plate of thebreech-block, as shown in Figs. 1 and -4, it will keep the head of the pistonat suchdis tan'ce from the nose-plateias to leave ampleHroom'for the powder-case P, which eontainstheproj ectingcharge, and to protect the tsaidlpowder-ease from being crushed when the .sea-pressure-is permitted to push the projectile inboard, as

will be hereinafter explained.

The powder-case .P is representedv (seeFi g.

4) as madeof tin-plate, cylindricalin form,

with a central hole covered with. wire-netting to freely expose the powder-to the action of the fuse, and as being supported loosely, but centrally, in the bore *of the gun by being provided with sheet-iron legs 1).

A hole f is formed through the center of the piston, the walls of this hole being partly parallel and partly tapering, as shown in Fig. 4. Thefront portion of the hole forward of the taper is quite small and the rear part behind the taper, which extends through the rod or tube f, is larger. In front of this hole f there is a socket f on the piston to receive the tail or rear end of the projectile, and a set-screw f is provided to secure the tail of the projectile within the said socket. The tail of the projectile is intended to have in it a tapped hole f, shown in Fig. 6,) which is to be reached by he end of a screw-threaded,

rod, which is to be inserted through the hole 1, for the purpose hereinafter explained, the taper portion of the hole serving to guide the said rod into the said tapped hole.

Besides the packing-rings f, thepiston is provided, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, at its rear end with a compound packing consisting of a cup-leather 'i and an annular plate jof copper or other soft metal applied between the said cup-leather and the back of the pieton, the said cup-leather and plate being secured to the piston by means of a ring it and screw bolts and nuts When the plate j is applied it is fiat, as shown in Fig. 4, andits external circumferenceis of a sizeto pass freely through the larger bore of the section A, but too large to enter the smaller bore of the sections'in frontof section A of the gun; The purpose of this plate j willbe understood-when the operations of moving forward the projectile in the gun are hereinafter explained. I designates a reservoir for compressed air,

which is tobe admitted to the gun near the breech thereof for the purpose of forcing forward the, piston F in the bore of the gun and through it forcing forward the projectile against the pressure of the sea to the posi tion in which its forward part protrudes from the muzzle of the gun into. the water, as

shown in Fig. 3, in readiness to be discharged. This. air-vessel may be charged by hand or from the engine-room untilthe pressure of say, from fifty to sixty pounds per square inch is obtained. A pipe 1 forms a communication between this air-vessel and the chamber of th'e-gun. This pipe is furnished a three-way cock Z, which is to be operated;

by a handle P for admitting compressed air into the chamber behind the piston or form ing communication between the atmosphere. 7 t In the forward part of the gun, not far from the muzzle, there is provided an orifice m, communicating with one end of a pipe m.

The other end of the said pipe communicates, through the side of the vessel with the sea,. and is furnished with a valve m which may be termed the sea-valve. This pipe m is fitted with a three-way cock m?, to be operated f of the latter over its tail end and the chamber and through a rod, m by a" hand-lever m arranged near the-breech of the gun. The orifice m is at such distance from the muzzle of the gun and the packing-ring h of the projectile at the end thereof that when the projectile is entirelywithin the gun, as shown in Fig. 1, the packing-ring will be behind the said orifice, but that when the projectile is pushed forward out of the gun to the position shown in Fig. 3, in readiness for firing, the

packing-ring will be in front of the said orifice, butstill within the bore of the gun.-

This orifice m and the valve m and cook m provide foradmitting water from the sea to the'gun between the muzzle-valve and the lever n ,arranged near the breech of the gun.

There is also in the rear portion of the gun a drain-passagefrom the bore to the outside to drain out water from the breech part of the gun.- This passage must be provided with some means of opening and closing ite-as, for instance, a screw-plug o,.as'-shown in Figslarid 2. I 5

'. 'Theoperations of the f'gun andf projectile are controlled and'perfoijnied as follows: The

air-vessel having been charged, the muzzlevalve G and the cocks Z n m? beingall closed,

and the sea-valve m being open, the breech-- block is unlocked andiswnngclear of,the

' bore. The projectile, having meanwhilebeen' placed centrally on rollers attached to the floor, is now run into the-bore and pushed forward until its rear end is within a-few inches of the breech end of the gun, when the piston I-IC Fgis to be attached to it by passingthe socket upthe set-screwf screwing just tight enough to keep the piston fromturning on the projectile, but I leaving it s. freethat onentering-thetwater the resista cQi-Orithejfrbnt of the piston will cause it to part-from'the projectile. The Piston and projeetileare then pushedforward I to their proper position, (shown in Fig. 1,)

which is ascertained by'a gagerod fromthe projectile at'h is tight thethree-way cock m j is opened,a s shown in Fig. 1, to make communieation through the -pipe m, and water under sea-pressure thus admitted in front of the packing when, by opening the test-cock at, any imperfection iirthe packing will show-v itself by water runningout through the orifice Should the leak be serious the pro;

v the packing-.. readjusted. The withdrawallmaybe efieeted jectile mustbe withdrawn and after opening thebreeeh the pressure of r placed inpositionand thebreech-block closed. I To ascertainwhether the packing of; the

the sea-water admitted to the here through the orifice m; but should that be insufficient to overcome the friction of the packing h and the piston-packin g the withdrawal may, after opening the breech, be effected or assisted by means of a rod having a screw-thread at its front end and an eye at itsrear end, the said rod being screwed into the tapped hole f, hereinbefore mentioned, in the rear of the projectile'and a tackle being applied to the eye in the rear end of the said rod. The packing being all right, the cocks n and m are left in the position last mentioneduntil just before firing.

It having been j ectile to the firing position, as shown in Fig.-

-3, the fuse-plug is screwed in the stem ofthe nose-plate and the muzzle-valve G is opened either by air, steam, or hand power, as may be arranged in the vessel; the sea-pressure at the time being on the inside as well as on the outside of the valve, the resistance to its openin'g will be only such as is due to the speed of the vessel. The muzzle-valve having been brought to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3, the air-valve Z is opened to admit compressed air behind the piston and force it outward until the copper plate j comes against the shoulderb between the larger and smaller bores, when the piston is stopped by the said shoulder until it isdesire'd to dis charge the projectile. Should it be found desirable to keep the projectile in the firing position for any length of time, the screw 'y may be screwed down for security to prevent the piston from being moved back by-the pressure of the water, owing to any possible "diminution of airpressure behind it, the said' screw constituting a positive stop to prevent the return of the -piston, but being adj ustable from the outside of the gun.

When ready to discharge the projectile the cocks l, m, and n should all be closed and the stop-screw g screwed back, and on the fuse-wires being attached 'to the firing-bat-.

tery the gun may be .fired.

It may be observed that when the piston and the projectile have been pushed forward, as above described, by the compressed aira chamber full of compressed air is left between the breeclrof'the gun and the base of the projectile.

The shoulder b is. made strong enough to resist for an infinitesimal time theexplosive force of the charge of powder; but this is longenough to assure the completeignition of the whole charge, and consequently the perfect subsequentexplosiom- When the full force of the explosion is developed it will of course exert upon the piston apressure far beyond I what the copper plate j is capable of resisting,

and will so press the said plate against the shoulder b as to turn its edges back, as shown inFig. 6, and the said ring will, along with the cup '5, form a partof a gas-tight packing to the piston while the latter with the prodecided to bring the projectile before it is projected from the gun. The piston, being only lightly attached to the projectile by the screw f is left behind by' the projectile immediately after their exit-from the gun. After firing, the muzzle-valve G should be closed and the three-way cock n turned to give free communication between thcbore of the gun and the gun-room or interior of the vessel. charged through the cock 1!. the muzzle-valve is tight; but if any water should appear the muzzle-valve must be reseated again by opening and closing it. The breech-block can then be removed and the water in the gun emptied in the bilge. some cause be deemed advisable not to fire after having brought the projectile to the firing position, (shownin Fig. 3,) but to withit fully re-enter the gun, the screw 'y must be unscrewed and the cock I turned to such a position thatthe air' behindthe piston can escape into the gun-room or interior of the vessel. The sea-pressure then forces the projectile back to its place, or ifthat should fail to do so, it may be drawn back without opening the breech; but after removing the fuseplug by means of the rod hereinbefore mentioned inserted through the breech-block and screwed into the tapped hole f inthe rear of the projectile the muzzle-valve Gishould then be closed and the valve-cock m so turned that the water which has entered the bore in front of the packing .of the projectile will empty itself into the .bilge.

When the gun is not used'the bore should be kept drained through-the drain-passage 0 by removing the screw=plug o from the rear orifice of the said passage or otherwise opening the said passage. By pushing forward tlge projectile withinthe bore of the gun and gently protruding it into the water; before Idischarging it I obviate all percussive actionv of the firing-pin upon the water as to arrest or cause it to be driven back upon the fulplosive charge of .the projectile;

to secure by Letters Patent, is

projectiles in a gun under water, consisting in first pushing the projectile forward in the gun against the pressure of the water to a definite position in which it displaces the water in the bore of the gun and is retained stationary, partly projecting from the gun into the water and afterward discharging the projectile from the gun, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The improvement in the artof operating in effecting the withdrawal of the projectile into the gun, after it has been pushed forward therein and partly projected therefrom, by opening communication between the rear' part of the gun and the atmosphere while the Should it, however, for

l EVVhat-I claim as my invention, and desire- 1. llhe improvement in the artof operating If no water be disdraw the projectile from that position and let IIC minate which is employed for giving the era IIf projectiles in a gun under water, consisting forward end of the projectile is exposed to the pressure of the water, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The improvement in the art of operating projectiles in submarine guns, consisting in first forcing the projectile forward by means of compressed air to a given position, in which it is so temporarily retained by the airpressure as to form a chamber behind it, and

afterward igniting and exploding a charge of lo powder in the so-formed chamber filled with compressed air for the discharge of the projeetile, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. n

' VALDEMAR F. LASHUIC.

Witnesse Frmmc. IIAYNms, K. E. lHcMBLE'roN. 

